Modeling Myxobacterial Fruiting Body Growth in Various Nutritional Conditions
Location
SU-217
Department
Physics
Abstract
Myxobacteria are soil and marine dwelling gram negative bacteria known to make outer membrane vesicles, which carry secondary metabolites. These vesicles are effective weapons against bacterial pathogens that are immune to many current antibiotic treatments. Understanding the guiding mechanisms of growth and development for myxobacteria is key for utilizing their antibiotic potential and other pharmaceutical needs. One of their most distinct features is their ability to form fruiting bodies in starving conditions. Fruiting bodies are complex structures that require coordination between thousands of previously independently functioning cells. These coordination mechanisms are not well understood for many myxobacteria, especially Myxococcus macrosporus. Recent laboratory experiments have shown concentric fruiting body growth, which is a novel result. Our goal is to leverage a combination of physical simulations and mathematical descriptions to recreate observed fruiting body growth in the modeling software Netlogo. Our first step was extensively simulating the physical processes of M. macrosporus. This includes aggregation, nutrient consumption, and any other readily understood and observed mechanism. Limit conditions for the probability of fruiting body growth were qualitatively derived from experimental results and then used to solve for the probability of fruiting body formation. This function, in combination with simulations, was successful at reproducing the unique fruiting body growth exhibited by M. macrosporus. The simulations presented here form a basis for further models using light as an environmental parameter for growth and secondary metabolite production.
Faculty Sponsor
Joseph Hibdon
Faculty Sponsor
Emina Stojkovic
Modeling Myxobacterial Fruiting Body Growth in Various Nutritional Conditions
SU-217
Myxobacteria are soil and marine dwelling gram negative bacteria known to make outer membrane vesicles, which carry secondary metabolites. These vesicles are effective weapons against bacterial pathogens that are immune to many current antibiotic treatments. Understanding the guiding mechanisms of growth and development for myxobacteria is key for utilizing their antibiotic potential and other pharmaceutical needs. One of their most distinct features is their ability to form fruiting bodies in starving conditions. Fruiting bodies are complex structures that require coordination between thousands of previously independently functioning cells. These coordination mechanisms are not well understood for many myxobacteria, especially Myxococcus macrosporus. Recent laboratory experiments have shown concentric fruiting body growth, which is a novel result. Our goal is to leverage a combination of physical simulations and mathematical descriptions to recreate observed fruiting body growth in the modeling software Netlogo. Our first step was extensively simulating the physical processes of M. macrosporus. This includes aggregation, nutrient consumption, and any other readily understood and observed mechanism. Limit conditions for the probability of fruiting body growth were qualitatively derived from experimental results and then used to solve for the probability of fruiting body formation. This function, in combination with simulations, was successful at reproducing the unique fruiting body growth exhibited by M. macrosporus. The simulations presented here form a basis for further models using light as an environmental parameter for growth and secondary metabolite production.